Automatic coin receiving and transfer mechanism



Oct. 15, 1963 G. T. PEACOCK ETAL AUTOMATIC COIN RECEIVING AND TRANSFER MECHANISM Filed June 26, 1961 F/G. I

350 665, 7. p54 ace/6 5/04 5/ w. 65

United States Patent traiia Filed June 26, 1961, Ser. No. 119,554 Claims priority, application Austraiia June 27, 196i 1 illaim. (Cl. 1335) This invention has been devised to provide an automatic coin receiving and transfer mechanism for use with coin ope-rated machines. It will receive and hold a determined number of coins of one denomination and will automatically (transfer any coins over the determined number deposited in it to another location.

The invention will be described with reference to those machines known generally as poker machines but its use is not limited thereto. Also, the invention is particularly applicable for use with the counting and recording mechanism subject of pending patent application Serial No. 7,661, now Patent No. 3,075,699.

This coin receiving and transfer mechanism comprises a tube for receiving and storing a determined number of coins, and coin transfer means pivotally mounted at the upper end of said tube in the path of coins falling into the tube. The coin transfer means is actuated by the uppermost coin when the tube is filled to transfer coins to another location.

The invention will be described with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation thereof, and

FIGURE 3 is a detail perspective view of the coin transfer means.

The tube 1 has a rectangular opening 2 in its Wall adjacent the top thereof. As illustrated, the tube 1 has a supporting bracket 3 fixed thereon and partly surrounding the opening 2 and the bracket 3 has an extension 4 with suitable holes 5 and slot 6 therein whereby it is secured to a coin operated machine not shown. The tube 1 is of such internal diameter that it will receive and store coins 7 of one denomination, for example, fion'ns lying flat one upon another in the tube.

The coin transfer means is generally indicated by the reference 8 and it is formed as a bell-crank. It has a fulcrum bearing 9 whereby it is pivotally mounted upon a fulcrum pin :10 which latter is mounted in suitable holes in the bracket 3. The limb 11 of the bell-crank is a deflector plate which can be moved to deflect coins falling into the tube 1 through the opening 2. The other limb of the bell-crank has an actuating finger -12 and two slide bars '13 located one on each side of the finger 12. The actuating finger 12 projects into the tube 1 and the slide bars 13 project through the opening 2.

The location of the fulcrum pin is such that the slide bars 13 normally rest by gravity against the wall of the 3-,l0b,24 Federated Get. 15, 1963 "ice tube 1 at the bottom edge of the opening 2, and so normally locate the actuating finger -11 in the full line position seen in FIGURE 2, that is, in the path of coins 7 falling into the tube 1.

When the determined number of coins 7 has been received in the tube 1, the actuating finger 12 is urged into and held by the uppermost coin '7 in the broken line position seen in FIGURE 2. Consequently the deflector 11 and slide bars 13 also move to the broken line positions indicated and additional coins are deflected onto the slide bars 13 and out of the tube 1 through the opening 2.

Where the coin storage and transfer mechanism so described is used in conjunction with the counting and recording mechanism subject of pending patent application Serial No. 7,661, now Patent No. 3,075,699, the coins in excess of the determined basic number of coins will be transferred to and counted and recorded by the profit counting and recording mechanism thereof.

We claim:

Automatic coin receiving and transfer mechanism for receiving a determined number of coins of one denomination inserted into a coin operated machine and for transferring further coins to another location, said mechanism comprising a tube for receiving and storing the determined number of coins, said tube having an opening in its side wall adjacent the upper end, coin transfer means at the upper end of said tube at the location of said opening and in the path of coins falling into the tube, means for pivotally mounting said coin transfer means, said mounting means comprising a bracket having a base portion secured to the tube in the area of said opening and an attaching arm extending from said base, a shaft supported by said base and extending across said opening for pivotally supporting said coin transfer means, said coin transfer means comprising a bell-crank fulcrumed at the upper end of the tube, the upper limb of said bell-crank forming a movable deflector plate, a bearing surface beneath said deflector plate through which the shaft of said mounting means passes, the other limb of said bell-crank forming both an actuating finger projecting into the tube and a slide projecting out of the tube through the side wall opening therein, the free edges of said actuating finger and said slide extending below the lowermost edge of said opening, the bell-crank being fulcrumed in such position that the slide normally tests by gravity against the tube and the actuating finger is normally located in the path of coins falling into the tube, whereby when a predetermined number of coins has been received in the tube, the actuating finger is moved by the uppermost coin towards the side wall opening which moves the deflector p'late into the path of travel of additional incoming coins and deflects them onto the slide to another location.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,122,029 Prock Dec. 22, 1914 

